COVID-19 Workplace Health and Safety

This compilation is useful for both public and private sector workplaces where there has NOT been known exposure to people known to have already contracted COVID-19 or to people under isolation while COVID-19 is being investigated.

The demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) far exceeds current available supplies. It is anticipated that supplies will improve over the coming weeks and months and you will be able to get PPE more reliably through normal supply channels. Much of the workplace guidance below does not require medical quality PPE, especially N-95 respirators, lab gloves, protective gowns and face shields. Together we must work to minimize our demands on medical quality PPE so those providing physical and behavioral health care can be protected when they are in close contact with ill patients. If you genuinely need PPE and you cannot obtain it through your normal supply channels, contact the State Emergency Operations Center though its 24-hour emergency number at 800-347-0488.

From the Department of Labor’s Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA) and Project Worksafe

VOSHA and Project Worksafe have occupational health and safety specialists that can help individual essential employers with COVID-19 health and safety assessments. They can help determine what appropriate PPE is needed, if any, for this outbreak. If employees have concerns they wish to bring to VOSHA’s attention they may do so in writing by accessing the VOSHA website complaint page at or by calling toll free at 1-800-287-2765.

From the Vermont Agency for Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)

TheCDC guidelines for businesses and employees describe how to prepare workplaces for COVID-19, reducing transmission among employees, maintaining healthy business operations, maintaining a healthy work environment, and resources for more information.

The U.S. OSHA has produced Guidance on Preparing Workplace for COVID-19 with the U.S. Department of Human Services. It provides guidance for low, medium, high and very high exposure risk. Employers can assess their employee’s work and identify engineering and administrative controls to minimize the risk. Many of these controls do not require PPE, though high and very high exposure risk work activities usually do. Outside of the health care setting, high and very high exposure risks are not common.

From the Vermont Department of Health (VDH)

The VDH guidance for businesses and employees directs employers to make sure sick employees stay home, emphasizes respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene by all employees as well as routine environmental cleaning.

The COVID-19 Guidance for Food and Lodging Businesses resource explains the Stay Home, Stay Safe program, stopping on-premise dining, social distancing, and everyday preventive measures for food and lodging establishments, including posters for social distancing, keeping germs from spreading and proper handwashing.